Fu Xuan did not remain within the baths forever.
Eventually, the Master Diviner rose from the steaming waters, droplets tracing slow paths across pale skin before disappearing beneath the folds of a robe so thin that it seemed woven more from mist than fabric. It was loose enough to drape comfortably over her petite frame, yet refined enough to preserve the quiet elegance that surrounded her no matter what she wore.
Damp strands of pink hair clung to her neck and shoulders as she stepped barefoot across smooth stone, the faint morning breeze drifting through the artificial mountain retreat before following her into the manor itself.
Not long afterward, she settled before a broad table fashioned from polished darkwood, its lacquered surface reflecting the soft daylight filtering through open lattice windows. The room was spacious without feeling excessive, decorated with ink paintings depicting distant mountains and ancient rivers while shelves lined with scrolls and divination records occupied the surrounding walls.
Outside, a carefully maintained courtyard stretched beyond the veranda, where bamboo rustled gently beneath the wind and the quiet trickling of water from a stone fountain lent the estate an atmosphere of tranquil isolation.
Fu Xuan rested both hands upon the table before tilting her head ever so slightly.
"You may come out now."
Her voice was calm, carrying neither authority nor impatience.
"I know you're standing there."
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then, from somewhere beyond the partially opened doorway, a servant quietly revealed herself, bowing low enough that her forehead nearly touched the floor.
"My Lady."
"Our guest is awake. Go bring him here."
The servant hesitated only long enough to receive confirmation before lowering her head once more.
"And prepare tea for the two of us. The usual for me, and for Sunless... same as mine, but pour 'tranquility' into it."
The servant suddenly glanced up with a surprised expression.
"My Lady, didn't you say..."
"I did."
"...Oh my."
The servant scandalously raised a hand to her lips, as if about to burst out into a fit of giggles. Fu Xuan scowled.
"Don't you have a job to do?"
"At once."
Silence reclaimed the room as quickly as it had departed.
Fu Xuan folded her hands neatly atop one another before her closed eyes drifted toward the courtyard. Or rather, they would have, had she dared open them. Instead, her sealed eyelids remained perfectly still, leaving only her ears to follow the distant sounds of servants moving throughout the estate while she patiently awaited her guest's arrival.
Several minutes passed.
Measured footsteps echoed faintly through the corridor before stopping outside the room.
Sunny entered with an absent expression lingering across his face, his dark eyes carrying the distant look of someone whose thoughts had never truly left whatever troubled place they had wandered into. He paused just inside the doorway, studying Fu Xuan in silence for a brief moment before offering a small nod of acknowledgment.
She returned it with one of her own.
Without another word, Sunny walked toward the expansive table and deliberately chose the seat furthest from her, lowering himself into it with a quiet sigh as though the distance itself offered some small measure of comfort.
The corners of Fu Xuan's lips curled upward. She asked lightly, amusement coloring her otherwise composed tone:
"Wouldn't it be awkward to speak with such a large distance between us? At an empty table? Come here."
Sunny glanced toward her before looking around the spacious room, then back toward the empty chairs separating them.
"I guess. But I'm more comf—"
"I wasn't asking."
The words were not loud.
They did not need to be.
Sunny stiffened almost imperceptibly.
For the briefest instant, something flickered across his face before vanishing just as quickly, and without offering another objection, he slowly rose from his seat. Crossing the length of the table, he pulled out the chair beside Fu Xuan and lowered himself into it with quiet resignation, leaving barely an arm's length between them.
Only then did the Master Diviner's faint smile deepen by the smallest degree.
"I'm sure you have questions, but save them for when the tea arrives. We're not animals."
'I sure feel like one.'
What in the world was he thinking?! No matter how terrible the night had been, or how paranoid he may have felt, that was no excuse for him to infringe upon a woman's privacy! The worst part was that he couldn't lie and say it wasn't him...
In other words, he was fried if she ever went in that direction with her words.
...Whatever. He'll just forget about it. He had a few questions he needed to ask — some of which could only be answered by a diviner. Particularly one with an affinity towards Fate. He didn't know what Fu Xuan's affinity was, but she seemed like a good place to start.
A shadowy hand of dread massaged his heart, reminding him that it could be crushed at any moment. He needed to get rid of it, and fast.
But, despite the urgency, his gaze couldn't help but linger every once in a while. Each time he caught a glimpse of her pale collarbone, and the droplets of water carving a path down it from her bare shoulders, he was forced to recall the scandalous scene from earlier.
As well as the fact that she wasn't wearing anything underneath.
Her eyes were shut, so she shouldn't be able to see him, right? Then again, closed eyes didn't really seem to hinder her in a fight. He lowered his gaze to the table, suddenly finding the carpentry to be of astounding make.
Then, the door opened, and a servant walked in with a tray of tea. Two cups of porcelain was placed in front of them both... but Sunny immediately noticed that the fragrant liquid in his own was a little thicker when he gently moved it around. He eyed the Awakened servant in suspicion.
The woman in question, on the other hand, was looking him up and down appraisingly. Then, she focused on the top of both Sunny's and Fu Xuan's heads. An angry vein seemed about ready to burst in the latter.
"If you have time to gawk, then you have time to go and make sure nobody enters this room."
"Yes, yes, as you say."
The servant left — not before sending Sunny a wink. The act only seemed to irritate Fu Xuan more.
The woman seemed to have a somewhat casual relationship with her retainers.
Comparing the contents of his cup of tea and Fu Xuan's, Sunny wore an unimpressed expression.
"Are you poisoning me?"
Fu Xuan took an unconcerned sip of her tea, refined and graceful with each micromovement. She set it back down on the plate, then shrugged.
"Drugging you, actually. Similar, but not quite the same."
He slowly blinked.
"O...kay?"
Fu Xuan let out an exasperated sigh.
"Just drink it. The drug induces extreme relaxation, and would send an Ascended like you to sleep for five to ten minutes. It would be dangerous if you were a normal human, risking your heart muscles stopping, but there isn't any risk for you."
She glanced at him.
"You're a narcoleptic, aren't you? It has only been a few hours since Cirrus was dealt with, so I doubt you've gotten much rest. Those few minutes of sleep you'll get from drinking that will make up for hours."
Sunny frowned. Was he really going to drink something he knew was laced?
Sure, why not? Blood Weave would purge it anyways, so it didn't matter.
Placing the cup against his lips, he felt warm liquid flow past his tongue and down his throat, sending a wave of heat throughout his body. It was oddly tastless. In only a few seconds, the entire cup was emptied.
And a heaviness began pressing down on him. He leaned forward slightly, eyes drifting shut...
Before slumping over entirely, barely avoiding crushing the small plate as his hand bumped the table.
Fu Xuan wore a baffled look.
"You weren't supposed to drink the whole cup!"
Then again, perhaps he shouldn't have been given a full cup. Oh well. He'd probably live.
She stared for a few moments, feeling heat rush up her neck.
'This is stupid, so very stupid!'
She clicked her tongue in embarrassment and scooted her seat.